CANDLER — A wildfire burning on Georges Branch Road in the Candler community of Buncombe County has grown to 100 acres and remained 65% contained Saturday, as North Carolina Forest Service crews worked to establish containment lines amid dry and breezy conditions.
The fire, which broke out earlier this week on wooded terrain west of Asheville, has prompted concern among fire managers and emergency officials who warn that conditions are likely to worsen before they improve.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service are calling for near-record high temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s early next week across Western North Carolina, well above seasonal averages for early March. Combined with low relative humidity and lingering dryness from an unusually warm winter, officials say the region faces a period of elevated wildfire danger.
The NC Forest Service urged all residents in Buncombe and surrounding counties to refrain from open burning, including debris piles, brush fires and recreational fires in unenclosed outdoor settings. Burn bans may be enacted if conditions deteriorate further, officials said.
Isolated thunderstorms are also possible midweek, though forecasters cautioned that dry lightning — without significant rainfall — could ignite new fires rather than provide meaningful relief.
The Georges Branch fire is burning through terrain heavily affected by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. The storm deposited vast quantities of downed timber, uprooted trees and dried organic debris across mountain slopes throughout the region, creating what fire ecologists describe as an unusually high fuel load heading into spring fire season.
NC Forest Service crews, assisted by local fire departments, are using hand tools and equipment to widen containment lines and prevent the fire from spreading toward nearby residential areas.
Residents with properties adjacent to the fire area were advised to monitor emergency alerts and prepare for possible evacuation notifications. Updates are available through the Buncombe County Emergency Services website.